{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":91719,"title":"Electric Sail Propulsion Test and Validation","startTrl":2,"currentTrl":3,"endTrl":3,"benefits":"
Enable continued development of the electric sail concept by developing and experimentally validating more accurate physics models for sail performance. Electric sails can potentially enable ambitious new robotic science and exploration missions throughout the solar system and beyond.
","description":"In order to determine the true capability of the E-Sail, the discrepancy in force per unit length of charged wires must be understood. This difference can only be resolved by plasma chamber testing. Therefore, the first objective of this CIF project will be to repeat the MSFC interaction experiment, but with a long thin cylindrical test body, which will be more representative of the biased E-Sail wires. This proposed effort will also validate the physics model that describes the theory that a positively charged wire can produce a useful amount of thrust from solar wind. A strand of conductive wire will be charged and subjected to a solar wind environment in the MSFC Solar Wind Test Facility. Data collected will be compared with theoretical models.
","destinations":[{"lkuCodeId":1546,"code":"INSIDE_SOLAR_SYSTEM","description":"Others Inside the Solar System","lkuCodeTypeId":526,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"DESTINATION_TYPE","description":"Destination Type"}}],"startYear":2015,"startMonth":10,"endYear":2016,"endMonth":9,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":204147,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jared","lastName":"Dervan","fullName":"Jared A Dervan","fullNameInverted":"Dervan, Jared A","middleInitial":"A","primaryEmail":"jared.a.dervan@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":335305,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Michael","lastName":"Lapointe","fullName":"Michael R Lapointe","fullNameInverted":"Lapointe, Michael R","middleInitial":"R","primaryEmail":"michael.r.lapointe@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":392233,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Richard","lastName":"Howard","fullName":"Richard W Howard","fullNameInverted":"Howard, Richard W","middleInitial":"W","primaryEmail":"richard.w.howard@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":28,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"John","lastName":"Dankanich","fullName":"John W Dankanich","fullNameInverted":"Dankanich, John W","middleInitial":"W","primaryEmail":"john.dankanich@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"website":"https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/home/index.html","libraryItems":[],"transitions":[],"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"program":{"acronym":"MSFC CIF","active":true,"description":"Through the Center Innovation Fund, the Space Technology Mission Directorate allocates a small portion of the NASA workforce and procurement budget to internal research and development to feed early stage innovation in technology and exploration. Activities with in the Center Innovation Fund are proposed and led by NASA scientists and engineers. These activities and creative initiatives pursue emerging technologies that leverage talent and capabilities at the NASA Centers. ","parentProgram":{"acronym":"CIF","active":true,"description":"Through the Center Innovation Fund, the Space Technology Mission Directorate allocates a small portion of the NASA workforce and procurement budget to internal research and development to feed early stage innovation in technology and exploration. Activities with in the Center Innovation Fund are proposed and led by NASA scientists and engineers. These activities and creative initiatives pursue emerging technologies that leverage talent and capabilities at the NASA Centers.
","programId":64,"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdId":4875,"stockImageFileId":36643,"title":"Center Innovation Fund"},"parentProgramId":64,"programId":168,"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdId":4875,"stockImageFileId":36644,"title":"Center Innovation Fund: MSFC CIF"},"leadOrganization":{"acronym":"MSFC","canUserEdit":false,"city":"Huntsville","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4854,"organizationName":"Marshall Space Flight Center","organizationType":"NASA_Center","stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"AL","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Alabama","stateTerritoryId":18},"stateTerritoryId":18,"naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Center"},"supportingOrganizations":[{"canUserEdit":false,"city":"Helsinki","country":{"abbreviation":"FI","countryId":75,"name":"Finland"},"countryId":75,"external":true,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":1949,"organizationName":"Finnish Meteorological Institute","organizationType":"Academia","stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"","country":{"abbreviation":"FI","countryId":75,"name":"Finland"},"countryId":75,"name":"Outside the United States","stateTerritoryId":60},"stateTerritoryId":60,"naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"Academia"}],"coFundingPartners":[{"acronym":"NIAC","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":2558,"organizationName":"NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts","organizationType":"NASA_Program","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Program"}],"statesWithWork":[{"abbreviation":"AL","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Alabama","stateTerritoryId":18},{"abbreviation":"CA","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"California","stateTerritoryId":59}],"lastUpdated":"2023-5-25","releaseStatusString":"Released","viewCount":423,"endDateString":"Sep 2016","startDateString":"Oct 2015"}}